BCU

Bethune-Cookman University Names Raymond Woodie, Jr. Head Football Coach

/ J Bell / Leave a comment

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman University Director of Athletics Reggie Theus announced today (February 6, 2023) the appointment of Raymond Woodie as Head Football Coach. Woodie, 49, becomes the 16th head coach of Bethune-Cookman Football.

Raymond Woodie Jr. -Credits The Atlantic

“A new era at Bethune-Cookman University begins today,” said Interim President Lawrence M. Drake II, Ph.D. “Word of our pending new leadership has been hard to contain, so we are thrilled to officially welcome Raymond back home to Bethune-Cookman University. Throughout our search process, we stressed the need for a leader who understands our university’s history, traditions, and values, in addition to possessing firm athletic leadership prowess. Coach Woodie embodies each of these qualities.”

Woodie, a four-year letterwinner as a linebacker and 1996 graduate of Bethune-Cookman College, takes the helm of Wildcats Football following an impressive career as an assistant coach at numerous Power 5 schools including Florida Atlantic University (2020-22), Florida State University (2018-19), the University of Oregon (2017) and the University of South Florida (2013-16).

“We are elated to have Raymond Woodie, Jr. return to Bethune-Cookman University to lead our storied football program,” Director of Athletics Reggie Theus said.  We felt confident in his experience, his leadership, and his ability to embrace the spirit of our founder, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune in this 100th year of B-CU football.  We are locked in the vision for providing a championship culture through his detailed plan for recruiting academically talented student athletes, along with a sustained desire to provide a high-level experience.  It’s evidently clear why Coach Woodie has had terrific success in his journey; and we look forward to his return to Daytona Beach and starting this new era.”

Woodie has been recognized as one of the premier recruiters in college football, serving as an assistant under Head Coach Willie Taggart across multiple coaching stops. He has recruited seven players that were eventually selected in the NFL Draft.

“As a parent, Coach Woodie is the type of person you want your son coached by,” said Leslie Frazier, Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator of the Buffalo Bills. “He is a tremendous leader, person of integrity, and will do the right thing at all costs. Your son will be mentored and treated in the right way. He’s the ideal choice and I look forward to him having much success at his alma mater, Bethune Cookman.”

During his time with Oregon in 2017, Woodie was named the No. 1 recruiter in the PAC-12, as well as No. 13 in the nation by 247 Sports. Woodie led the way in signing the American Athletic Conference’s top-ranked classes in 2014 and 2015, in addition to the top class in the Sun Belt Conference in 2010 and 2011. Woodie was named AAC Top Recruiter by Rivals in 2014, and Sun Belt Recruiter of the Year by Scout/FoxSports.com in 2012.

“Coach Woodie is an unbelievable recruiter and an even better person,” said Forrest Lamp, NFL offensive lineman and one of Woodie’s recruits at Western Kentucky. “Coach Woodie hasn’t coached me in 10 years but has stayed in contact the entire time. I think that says more about the man than any stat could. He truly cares and always has the kids’ best interest in mind. I am so excited to see what the future holds for Coach Woodie and the Wildcats!”

Most recently, Woodie served as Associate Head Coach at Florida Atlantic, where he worked primarily with special teams and oversaw all aspects of recruiting in the role of recruiting coordinator for the Owls. 

“I am extremely happy for Raymond Jr. and Stephanie,” Said Coach Willie Taggart.  “Bethune Cookman University is getting a man of God, and a leader of men. He is an outstanding recruiter and a coach that will get the best out of his student athletes and staff, on and off the field. Raymond Jr. will make the Wildcat nation proud!”

In his time as a student-athlete at Bethune-Cookman, Woodie was a two-time Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) First Team Defense selection, as well as a two-time Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) All-America selection. He was also the first Bethune-Cookman student-athlete to be named a GTE Academic All-American and have $25,000 donated to the University in his name.

Prime vs. Shine: A Spectacle in HBCU Sports History

/ bgillens / 1 Comment
  • Photo credits: Bleacher Report
  • Photo Credits: Sports Illustrated

On the eve of Bethune-Cookman University hosting Jackson State at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, FL for a Southwestern Athletic Conference East divisional showdown, I sat down and thought about what a dream scenario could’ve potentially been.

You know the generational conversations; the ones discussed in barbershops, sports bars, and on podcasts. The ones where you debate how things might have turned out if the events could’ve taken place:

  • 1987 Lakers vs 2001 Lakers
  • 1996 Bulls vs. 2016 Warriors
  • 1985 Bears vs. 2007 Patriots
  • 1999 FAMU Rattlers vs. 2002 B-CU Wildcats

As long as I can remember, these conversations have dominated the sports lexicon among fans. If we were to examine this through an HBCU lens, what could this game have been if a few things were different?

Yes folks, I’m talking about the “Brawl for it all in Duval.”

Or more eloquently stated, “Prime vs. Shine.”

For longtime fans and supporters of the university located in “The World’s Most Famous Beach,” the attention, swag, flash, and flair Jackson State head coach Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders has brought to the SWAC is nothing new to the Wildcat faithful. They’ve seen this movie before. In fact, some would argue that B-CU and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Hall of Famer Alvin “Shine” Wyatt is the architect of HBCU flamboyant coaches. Long before it was popular, and quite frankly considered off-putting by his coaching peers, “Shine” as he is affectionately called, traded coach’s polos and khakis for leisure suits and alligator boots. And while he was definitely the epitome of style, there was plenty of substance there as well.

In his 13 years as head coach of Bethune-Cookman, Wyatt became the all-time winningest coach in school history, amassing a record of 90-54, earning wins against legendary coaches such as Joe Taylor, Bill Hayes, Oliver “Buddy” Pough, and his school’s interstate rival Florida A&M and coach William “Billy” Joe. He also captured two MEAC Titles (2002, 2003), one conference coach of the year award (1998), one Heritage Bowl appearance (1998) and two NCAA FCS Playoff appearances (2002, 2003).

He also placed several players in the NFL such as Rashean Mathis, Nick Collins, and Eric Weems. Wyatt would depart the Wildcat program in 2009 as arguably the greatest coach in school history.

11 years later, it appeared HBCU football had found a reincarnation of Wyatt when Jackson State announced it was hiring Deion Sanders as its 21st head coach of their football program. Known for his flashy style both on and off the field as a player, “Prime Time” as he was affectionately called, is widely considered the best defensive back in the history of the NFL and was enshrined into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2011.

In just one calendar year, Coach Prime guided the Tigers to their first SWAC championship since 2007, received the Eddie Robinson Award as the season’s top FCS head coach and currently has his Tigers at a perfect 5-0 and a Top 10 ranking in FCS standings. In the process, he also managed to flip the 2022 #1 high school recruit in Travis Hunter away from his alma mater Florida State to Jackson State, much to the chagrin of several college coaches across the country and watch his son, Shedeur Sanders, win the Jerry Rice Award, given to the best freshman player in FCS football.

So, in a perfect world, what would a matchup between Shine and Prime look like? Well first, aside from the game being played on the field, the pre-game press conferences would be must-see TV. I can only imagine the witty banter between the coaches prior to the game. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of witnessing either of them during a media scrum, the quotes that would have been given would have forever been etched in history. Never one to miss a marketing opportunity, Sanders would certainly have his camera crew following him around all week (courtesy of his relationship with Barstool Sports) documenting each step of preparation before the game.

Not to be outdone, Shine would have had the CatEye Network chronicling everything from his team running wind sprints on the beach before dawn to him grabbing some wings from the legendary Bethune Grill near campus (if you know you know).

On gameday, while Prime would likely opt for a JSU hoodie and sweats, you better believe, no matter the weather, Shine would come out of the tunnel donning a mink coat, accompanied by a white leisure suit with oversized gold belt buckle, or an officially licensed B-CU branded one piece jumpsuit. There’s no doubt the following Monday they both would have been featured on ESPN’s Get Up, First Take, Around the Horn and Pardon the Interruption amongst other shows on competing networks.

While it is tough to predict the outcome of the game, as Jackson State boasts a potent offense vs the always formidable Wildcat defense during Wyatt’s tenure, the true winners would’ve been the fans and supporters of both schools and HBCU’s in general. The game itself would have been one of those “you had to be there” affairs, where, as the years go by, the legend of the story grows larger and larger.

While that certainly will not be the case on Saturday as current Wildcat head coach Terry Sims is the complete antithesis of Wyatt in more ways than one, sometimes it’s nice to sit back, smile and think about what could have possibly been.

After all, a guy can dream.

It’s Time to Go SWACing

/ J Bell / Leave a comment

Darryl Powell hauls in a catch vs UCF Photo Credits: Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel

This will sound a little bonkers to you if you only casually followed Bethune-Cookman football through the first two weeks of the season but hear me out. Despite their 0-2 record and despite yielding 1,141 yards of total offense in those two games, Bethune-Cookman has shown me enough to believe they will fair well in SWAC play this season.

I fully admit I often see-through maroon and gold lens. Fair enough.  But I am offering an objective analysis this time. I promise! I think!  

So here goes my reasoning. I had a group chat rolling last Saturday evening during the UCF vs BCU game. It was the same group chat I had rolling when the Wildcats traveled to El Paso to face UTEP but I digress. There were three active football coaches in that chat. The exact quote from one of those coaches was “after 5 quarters of watching BCU this year, we can all agree that they are a good FCS football team.” They matched up well against UTEP from a size, speed and athleticism standpoint and there were several guys who really popped out against UCF as well.

Now admittedly, that chat thread grew awfully quiet by midway through the 2nd quarter of play against UCF, however, the thought process remains. I saw enough positive things and heard enough positive feedback from guys who know what they are talking about to feel pretty good about BCU Football as they enter the portion of the season that truly matters.

We won’t have to wait long before the Wildcats start to prove or disprove these assumptions.

Reigning HBCU National Champions Alabama A&M roll into Daytona stadium this Thursday evening in what will be Bethune-Cookman’s first ever SWAC conference contest.  The Bulldogs head into the contest winners of seven straight including a 42-41 shootout against South Carolina State in Week One. Brian “Juice” Jenkins Jr., former Daytona Beach Mainland standout and son of former Wildcat head coach Brian Jenkins Sr. had a game high 112 yards receiving against South Carolina State. Cookman’s defense will have their hands full trying to slow down Jenkins, SWAC Offensive Player of the Year Aqeel Glass and Connell Maynor’s high octane offense.

Glass’ 426 yards passing and 4 touchdown tosses this season is almost identical to BCU talisman, Shannon Patrick’s 453 yards passing and 4 touchdowns. The glaring difference being Glass’ stats all came in one game compared to Patrick doing it over two. Granted, Patrick led his team against two FBS opponents including one that is headed to the Big 12. The playing field levels out beginning this week when the Wildcats begin a stretch run of 9 straight contests against FCS competition.

Credits: Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel

Alabama A&M’s undersized front seven surrendered 242 yards on the ground against SCSU. Meanwhile the Cats’ Que’shaun Byrd is averaging 6.7 yards per rushing attempt with a long of 68 yards this season. We fully expect the Wildcats will look to take advantage of Byrd’s playmaking ability and their size advantage in the trenches this week.  

Defensive Coordinator Yogi Jones has shown great patience in sticking with a ton of shell coverage so far.  I suppose you can say there has been a lot of “bend” in the defense. Unfortunately for the Wildcats and their “bend but don’t break” philosophy, the “but don’t break” part of the moniker has been absent from the D. Opponents have scored touchdowns on 11 of 13 Red Zone tries and the defense has only forced 5 punts this season. Ouch. The Wildcats have to find a way to limit the Bulldogs to kicking situations. Maybe that comes through pressuring Glass and forcing punts. Maybe that comes by forcing field goal tries once inside the Red Zone. Either way, Cookman’s defense has to find a way to slow down this Bulldog offense.

In addition to Byrd proving himself as a reliable playmaker, pass catchers Darryl Powell Jr., Marcus Riley and Kemari Averett have all proven to be matchup problems. Bethune-Cookman should not have many issues moving the ball against the Bulldogs. It will be critical that the Wildcats finish drives with touchdowns because I believe the first team to score 38 wins this contest.

I also believe this is an excellent opportunity for Terry Sims’ men to plant their flag and remind the HBCU World that the Wildcats are 8-0 against SWAC competition since 2006. We think…I repeat think Bethune-Cookman is a good football team. We will follow up on that assumption in less than 72 hours. See you all at 7:30pm, Thursday, September 16th at Daytona Stadium.

Follow HailWildcats.com on socials and online. We will continue to bring you updates and insights into BCU football. We will also continue to help you support our guys as they play away from home. Click LetsGoWildcats.org for updated information on Fan Trips.

BCU Football’s Robinson, Merritt Accept Invites to SPIRAL Tropical Bowl

/ D Will / Leave a comment
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — 1st Team All-MEAC performer Jimmie Robinson and 3rd Team All-MEAC defensive back Trevor Merritt have both accepted an invitation to compete in the SPIRAL Tropical Bowl, which will be held Jan. 12, 2020, in Daytona Beach, Florida in front of scouts from teams across the NFL and Canadian Football League.
The SPIRAL Tropical Bowl is a premier FBS Division I level College Football All Star Game played in Daytona Beach, Fla., annually in mid January. The SPIRAL Tropical Bowl showcases the top college football seniors to NFL scouts and GM’s who travel from around the country to the event. The weekend is focused on scouting, teaching, and football. The Inaugural 2016 game was held at FIU/FIU North Stadium and the 2017 SPIRAL Tropical Bowl in cooperation with the City of Daytona Beach moved to Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach, Fla., and has since returned .The SPIRAL Tropical Bowl has partnered with the Daytona Beach Resort & Conference Center as the main Host Hotel for the “Tropical Bowl Weekend.” The organizing company East Preps LLC. is responsible for several high end college football all star games at FIU since 2013 and the SPIRAL Tropical Bowl has featured 70+ NFL Scouts and 26+ NFL Teams. Over 110 SPIRAL Tropical Bowl alumni have gone on to the NFL since it’s inception in 2016. https://www.tropicalbowl.com/home
Robinson, a senior from Flagler Palm Coast, wraps up a stellar career that saw him earn All-American status as a kick returner and all conference honors as a wide receiver. The speedster led the conference in both kick return average (28.1 yds) and all purpose yards (123.6 per game) in 2019. Robinson was named 2019 Stats FCS All-American, 2019 MEAC First Team All Conference Return Specialist, 2019 MEAC Second Team All Conference Wide Receiver, he was also awarded American Team Offensive MVP in the 2019 6th Annual FCS Bowl.

Credits: Orlando Sentinel

Merritt, who hails from Rockledge, FL, registered 31 tackles and 3 interceptions his senior year. The ballhawking defensive back didn’t just pick off passes; he returned 2 of his 3 picks for touchdowns this season and 2 of his 4 picks for touchdowns in his junior campaign.

The annual all-star game for seniors from Football Bowl Subdivision programs will kick off at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday in DeLand, Fla. The game will be played at Spec Martin Stadium, home of Stetson University and can be viewed online at FloFootball.com. The Tropical Bowl website estimates, through its parent organization (East Prep LLC), that upwards to 40% of players that participate and actually pursue a Pro career are placed and many players play from the NFL to Europe!

Best of luck to Jimmie and Trevor! Hail Wildcats!

 

 

 

 

Dang bro! We loss Homecoming 27-19

/ J Bell / Leave a comment

Wildcat fans, we loss homecoming. Freaking homecoming bro.

Everything was set up so perfectly. The old-heads were decked out in their best “short sets” and leopard print. The Greeks were strolling. The Henny was flowing. The #WHOE crowd left it all in streets of  Daytona; yet somehow our beloved Wildcats came up short in the actual game. That’s no way to treat Ms. Mary’s kids but here we stand.

Saturday’s 27-19 homecoming loss was the first since losing to Winston-Salem State in 2009. That was Coach Alvin “Shine” Wyatt’s last season in charge. If I had to give you one word to describe the loss it would be… frustrating… disappointing… head-scratching…soul-searching.

Yeah, I know that’s more than one word but let me have my moment.

Losing to a Buddy Pough coached squad is nothing to be ashamed of.  SCSU owns more MEAC championship crowns than any other school with 16 and Coach Pough is the winningest coach is Bulldog history. The frustration for Wildcat fans lie not in losing Saturday’s contest but in how the team performed.

The Cats entered the contest on a 5 game winning streak yet the air in the stadium was filled with frustration and head-scratching by game’s end.

Frustration that the team’s most dynamic player, All-American Jimmie Robinson, only had one offensive touch the entire contest. Frustration at surrendering 276 rushing yards while only rushing for 59. Head-scratching at yielding a first down and eventually a touchdown after allowing SCSU to convert a fake punt on 4th and 17.

There was the blocked field goal, missed extra point, missed tackles, dropped passes, questionable play calling,  failure to convert a 1st and goal into points….I’m exhausted thinking about all of the missed opportunities.

“We got out-coached and out-played”. Those aren’t my words. Blame that analysis on head coach Terry Sims speaking to the media after the defeat.

Perhaps the most disappointing and telling sign of how the night went was highlighted on the last drive. Trailing by a touchdown and 2 point conversion with less than 2 minutes to play, Bethune took over possession at their own 38 yardline.  That’s awesome right? We got 3 time MEAC player of the week Arkevious Williams at QB. We got the aforementioned Jimmie Robinson. We got the homecoming crowd cheering and Marching Wildcats playing.  Surely a comeback was in the cards right…NAH! Not this time.

After picking up an initial first down, the Wildcats’ potentially game tying drive ended with 3 sacks and a dropped pass. It was a sad exclamation point to a night filled with missed opportunities. A night in which BCU simply could not deliver in front of 12,204 homecoming fans who were looking for a reason to add to the festive weekend. It just wasn’t meant to be.

The bad news is the Wildcats no longer control their own fate to make the postseason. The good news is the Wildcats are still co-leaders  in the MEAC standings and very much in the championship hunt. Assuming Bethune does a little soul-searching, course correcting and win out against Delaware State, NCA&T and FAMU; they would only need South Carolina State to drop  one of their remaining contests to fulfill their quest of making their first ever Celebration Bowl appearance.

The scenario is not far-fetched  especially when considering fellow co-leaders SCSU and NCA&T square off in Orangeburg this weekend. An Aggies win would once again place BCU in control of their own postseason fate.

BCU has a bye this weekend giving them plenty of time to lick their paws. Heal up. Regroup. Refocus. Insert your favorite cliche here before taking on Delaware State in Dover in a couple of weeks.

Thank you FAMU

/ J Bell / Leave a comment

Back in the day when my crew and I were rocking Jeri Curls, Guess Jeans and Adidas with the fat boy shoelaces, Bruce “The Boss” Springsteen penned the famous line: “you can’t start a fire without a spark.” Today as I sit here with my baldhead, no name jeans and Dr. Scholl inserts, I am unashamedly thanking Florida A&M University for the fire that is currently blazing across the MEAC and HBCU landscape.

Yeah, you heard me correctly. On this 21st day of October, I am thanking Florida A&M University for setting the MEAC landscape on fire.

The spark that started the flames came on Sunday afternoon when the Rattlers defeated reigning Black College National Champions North Carolina A&T 34-31 in overtime.

Prior to Sunday’s rescheduled contest, there was a sense of apathy…inevitability…been-there-done-that permeating MEAC circles. There were no real surprises up to that point. All of the teams we thought would be good heading into the season were handling their business; none more so than the #9th ranked Aggies who seemed on course to win their 3rd straight MEAC crown.

But all of that changed when FAMU pulled off the first real shocker of the season. As a result, lethargy has been replaced with vigor around the conference. Trash talk is ramping up. Half of the league is playing the “what-if” game and reviewing all of the scenarios that would land their squad in the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl.

Buddy Pough and the resurgent South Carolina State Bulldogs now control their own destiny to get to the Celebration Bowl. NCA&T is still in control of their own fate to get to Atlanta. Florida A&M, who isn’t eligible for postseason play this year due to self-imposed sanctions, still control their own destiny as it relates to being named Black College Football National Champions. Rattler fans, who have watched their team defeat Southern, South Carolina State and now North Carolina A&T, are starting to feel real good about themselves. Many of them are already peeking ahead at the Florida Classic.

Speaking of the Florida Classic, let’s not forget about our favorite hBCU. Bethune-Cookman is 6-1 and sitting atop the MEAC standings but if you were not playing close attention you could have easily missed that fact. This is partly because the Wildcats have yet to have a signature win and partly because BCU’s schedule is heavily back loaded with games against SCSU, NCA&T and FAMU all upcoming.

The Bulldogs visit Daytona Beach this Saturday to face the Wildcats in a huge homecoming matchup. A SCSU win would throw the conference race into utter chaos. A win by BCU keeps them looking down at everyone else in the standings and on pace for the MEAC title and one of the most significant Florida Classic matchups in years.

Yeah, I know there is a ton of football left to be played between now and then but a guy can dream can’t he?

Everything is on the table. All of the team goals are still in front of the Wildcats. Let’s hope Terry Sims, his coaching staff and his team can pull it all together and keep the fire burning in the hearts of BCU fans. South Carolina State you’re on the clock. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00pm this Saturday. Who will ascend to the top of the mountain!

 

80 Hours Removed from the 2018 Florida Classic; Here are 8 Perspectives of this Weekend’s 33-19 Win

/ J Bell / 1 Comment

1- Bethune-Cookman shuts down FAMU in Florida Classic, blocks Rattlers’ shot at MEAC title

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/college/college-gridiron-365/os-sp-florida-classic-1118-story.html

2- 99-yard TD run carries Bethune-Cookman to victory over Florida A&M

https://www.macon.com/sports/college/article221767225.html#storylink=cpy

3- Bethune-Cookman scores twice in 4th, Beats FAMU 33-19

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2018/11/17/bethune-cookman-scores-twice-in-4th-beats-florida-am-33-19/38553827/

4- FAMU Collapses again in Florida Classic, lose 33-19 to BCU

http://www.thefamuanonline.com/news/view.php/1036152/FAMU-collapses-again-in-Florida-Classic-

5- FAMU drops disappointing verdict in Classic

http://www.wtxl.com/sports/famu-drops-disappointing—verdict-in-classic/article_6e263e3e-ebb9-11e8-a904-d7de18eef6a6.html

6- Bethune-Cookman downs FAMU, 33-19

https://bcuathletics.com/news/2018/11/17/football-bethune-cookman-downs-famu-33-19.aspx?path=football

7- Super 8! BCU wins eighth straight Florida Classic behind big plays, late turnovers

https://www.news-journalonline.com/sports/20181117/super-8-b-cu-wins-eighth-straight-florida-classic-behind-big-plays-late-turnovers

8- Bethune-Cookman spoils FAMU celebration bowl berth with Florida Classic win

https://hbcusports.com/2018/11/17/bethune-cookman-spoils-famu-celebration-bowl-berth-with-florida-classic-win/

Wildcats look to rebound after TSU setback

/ J Bell / Leave a comment

There is a gentlemen by the name of Dr. K. Jackson who has a thriving pediatric dentistry practice in the Great Atlanta Area. I know you don’t really care about that, unless of course your Little Johnny has a gator-sized overbite in which case you may want to rush out to one of Dr. Jackson’s offices IMMEDIATELY, but humor me if you will.

When we were both seven years old, some older kids in the neighborhood provoked me to start a fight with Dr. J. I had a pretty good history up to that point of holding my own against kids at my level so what the heck. Let’s do this!

Let’s just say things did not go the way I anticipated that day.

Dr. Jackson’s 7 year old self kicked my 7 year self’s butt. It was awful. I cried real tears y’all. I am not exaggerating. He beat me up and sent me home crying real tears. The most frustrating thing is I felt like I had no answers. I just remember thinking whatever the 7 year old version of ‘somebody throw in the dang towel already’ while I was eating a plate full of future dentist fists.

He outthought me, outmaneuvered me, out-classed, out-witted, out-manned, outperformed…I was just…well ‘out’ that day. It was a completely one sided affair.

For those of you who witnessed Bethune-Cookman’s contest against Tennessee State this weekend, it was pretty much the same; only BCU was me and TnST was Dr. Jackson. The Tigers “out-everything” Bethune last Saturday. They outrushed (201-66), out passed (324-178), out-executed, outcoached and of course outscored (34-3) Cookman.

Fortunately for 7 year old me, it all worked out in the end. I live a pretty good life now and Dr. Jackson and I are best of friends to this day. It was also the last fight I loss so I have that to hang my hat on too.

The Wildcats are looking for a similar story line. A lopsided defeat early in the season does not have to define this team and it can mostly be erased from the memory banks if they can course-correct. Objective number one if they are to steer this ship back towards the Celebration Bowl is to fix the offensive line woes. That’s easily spoken but not easily resolved.

Now granted, the offensive line is young and Tennessee State is not exactly the defense you want to break in the new tires against. The Tigers threw a myriad of pressures at the young Wildcat front and frankly BCU simply were not good enough to handle it. Even though the OLine failed their first test, they must rebound if this team wishes to finish the season at or near the top of the conference standings.

Surely the Wildcats will look to set the tone and build much needed confidence in the offense and throughout the entire team when Virginia University of Lynchburg roll into Daytona Beach this Saturday.

The Dragons are a gift from Ms. Mary McLeod to her beloved Wildcats in Week Two of the College Football Season. Virginia Lynchburg are not members of the NCAA, instead, they compete in the lower and less competitive NCCAA or National Christian College Athletic Association. Yet it’s still an official contest against other grown men and after last week’s drubbing, you could not find a better place on the schedule for it. The Wildcats need to not only win this contest but they need to play the role the big bruiser in this fight and get that swagger back that comes not just from winning but dominating your opponent. Doing so would pump a gulp of fresh air into Wildcat nation. I am sure it would also make 7 year old Dr. Jackson really proud.

Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00pm.